Exhaust gases which contain silane and must be subjected to cleaning are being produced today in many branches of industry, as for example in the production of silicon compounds, in the packing of silicon compounds, in the production and bottling of silane-containing gas mixtures, and in the production of semiconductors.
Conventional methods of disposal, such as burning or washing in wash towers, present great problems with regard to their technical practice and the pollution of the environment. Burning them off causes the development of very fine silica which are hard to separate from the combustion gases. If chlorosilanes are contained in the exhaust, HCl and Cl.sub.2 occur in the combustion gases, i.e., the burning must be followed by an additional exhaust treatment. If aqueous wash tower systems are used, problems occur due to silicification, and in the case of chlorosilanes acid waste water problems are encountered. Monosilane is but slowly hydrolyzed by water, so that an alkaline washing must be added afterwards.